


MISSING

by Kaunis_Sielu



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 23:37:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 9,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12970917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaunis_Sielu/pseuds/Kaunis_Sielu
Summary: Another story I wrote with Tumblr user Cecygee. I wrote the odd chapters and she wrote the even ones





	1. Chapter 1

You roll your shoulders and gently rub the back of your neck. Sighing softly. Counter-terrorism wasn’t easy but that’s one of the things you loved about it.   
“Long day?” The deep voice of Aaron Hotchner surprises you.   
“Aren’t they all?” You quip with a soft smile. You glance over at him and are pleased to see you’ve gotten a half smile out of the usually stoic Agent.   
“You’ve got a point.”  
“You the last one to leave?”  
“If you’re asking if Morgan is still here he’s not.”  
“Oh god, they’re going to be so flirtatious and lovey when I get home.” You groan causing him to chuckle softly, “Do you have an spare room?”   
“You’re welcome any time.” He says with a grin, the elevator doors sliding open.   
“I’m going to hold you to that Hotch.” You call over your shoulder to him. He grins then gives you a little wave which you return before heading to your car.   
When you get home the apartment is dark. Flipping on the light your mouth drops open in horror at the sight. The end table is broken on the floor, the lamp that had been on it is shattered into pieces. One of the bar stools from the kitchen counter is laying in the doorway, of the kitchen like someone had tried to use it to block the entry into the kitchen. A few books are scattered around the living room.   
“Raven?” You call, “Ray?” You pull your cell phone out of your pocket and call her. When you hear her phone ringing from her bedroom your heart sinks. You have to scroll through your phone to find Derek’s number. Standing in the doorway of your apartment you wait as his phone rings, you’re getting more and more anxious.   
“Hello?”  
“Please tell me Raven is with you.”  
“What?”  
“Morgan! Where is Raven?”  
“She’s not at your apartment?”  
“No!” The panic is lacing your voice, something you know Morgan can hear, “Our apartment is a disaster and her phone is here.”  
“Don’t touch anything.” He orders, and you can hear him moving around on his side of the phone call.   
“I’m not an idiot.”   
“Where are you?”   
“Standing in our doorway.”   
“Don you have your gun?”  
“Yea. Why?”  
“If anyone but me or Hotch tries to get you to leave shoot them.”  
“Derek Morgan what the hell is going on?” You ask pulling your gun and badge from your purse. You drop your purse just inside the door, press the phone between your shoulder and ear and side your badge onto the waistband of your jeans.   
“I’m on my way. I’ll call Hotch.”   
“Derek?” You ask but he’s already hung up. You shove your phone into your back pocket and wait tensely, your gun in your hand. The elevator dings and you get ready to use your weapon, when the doors slide open it’s Hotch looking anxious.   
“Have you cleared the apartment?”   
“I didn’t get any further than the front door.”  
“Let’s clear it.” He says pulling his gun from his hip, you follow him in, clearing the kitchen as he heads for the hallway. You hear him clear the bathroom then go to Raven’s room. You move to yours and clear it. Nothing is even out of place.   
“Clear.” He says and you nod. “Get some things together. You’re staying at my place.” You nod again and he heads into the living room.   
“Hotch?” Derek calls.   
“It’s clear. We haven’t touched anything. I think it’s him.” Hotch says. You grab your bag and head out into the living room.   
“Who?” You ask, and from the look on both men’s faces it’s not good.


	2. Chapter 2

You groan softly as you struggle to open your eyes. You can tell that you’ve been sitting in an uncomfortable chair for a long while, you roll your neck in an attempt to get some relief but it doesn’t help. Your eyes finally open and you try to figure out where you are or how you got here.   
You remember going home; you were in your room working on some new flower arrangements for your shop the next day when you’d hear the noise.   
Today had been a good day for you. The shop managed to sell out your priciest arrangements. Your boyfriend, Derek Morgan, would be able to send the night, since his most recent case was near home. He never talked about his cases, but you never minded as long as it didn’t affect your relationship with him. Derek fought to put away the bad guys and that was all that mattered.   
You’d gone home early in hopes of being able to shower and cook dinner before your boyfriend and best friend, Joelle, made it back home from their grueling jobs. You always made sure the two had homemade meals whenever they were home from cases.   
You’d unlocked the door to your home, and walked through the living room to get to your room. You placed your bag on your bed and walked over to your vanity. You sat down and took off all your jewelry before heading to your closet to pick out the clothes you would put on after your shower. You’d settled on black leggings and one of Derek’s old t-shirts. As your about to walk out of your room, you’d heard a thud outside in the living room. You’d assumed that Joelle was home, it was only when you heard a crash that you’d realized an unwanted person or people were rummaging in your home. You’d hidden in your closet.  
You were shaking as you reached into your jean pockets in hopes of finding your phone but let out a silent curse when you realized you had left it in your purse. You debated for a minute before deciding to stay in the closet. You prayed that someone would be home soon, jumping slightly as your door slams open. You heard a man’s voice call out your name. How he knew your name you didn’t know, but you were sure this was not going to end well. You hear footsteps approach the closet and tried to sink further in your closet, but you backed into the wall instead. The closet door opened, but before you could scream or catch a glimpse of your attacker, the person hit you in the head leaving you in a dark abyss.   
So here you were. Tied to a chair. As you attempt to get out of your restraints, you notice you’re in a small dark room. You give up trying to get out and you start to focus on your surroundings, like Derek had said to do in this situation. Derek. He must be worried sick, and Joelle is probably freaking out. You look around and see a small door across from where you’re sitting. Turning your head to the right you notice a small window that only lets a small stream of light come in, the light is an odd yellow color, it must be a streetlight. A small lamp is placed on a coffee table to your left. You make note of the possible weapons you can make from the two objects. If you break the chair and escape, you could also use the chair as a weapon.   
You focus on the window once more and try to see if you can find anything distinguishable outside. Whoever had taken you couldn’t have taken you too far. You can’t see anything from your position which makes you groan in frustration. Closing your eyes you focus on the sounds around you. You hope this can give you some clue of where you are but all you’re greeted with is silence, you can’t help but feel hopeless. All the tips Derek taught you to do in this situation were proving to be useless. There was no way out and no way of knowing where you were. You sigh and let your head fall in despair. Someone was going to find you, they had to. You’re pulled out of your thoughts when you hear the door knob turn. Someone was coming in, and you were going to get some answers.


	3. Chapter 3

Hotch and Morgan don’t give you much information. You’re tired and frustrated but they make you go over the apartment with a fine tooth comb. Nothing else is missing, nothing else is different. You want them to go home, so you can go to bed.   
“Alright Joelle?” Hotch says snapping you out of your daze.   
“I’m sorry Hotch what?”  
“Are you alright?” He asks again, gentler this time.   
“Not so much. My apartment has been broken into, ransacked and my best friend is missing. Not only that but the two men who know what the hell is going on won’t tell me shit.” You tell him folding your arms over your chest. “Why can’t I just go stay at a hotel?” Hotch sighs deeply, running his hand over the back of his head then glances toward Morgan.   
“It’s the case we’re working.” He says softly pulling you aside with a gentle hand on your arm.   
“I thought you made an arrest.”   
“We did. Oh, wait not that case.”   
“What?”  
“We’ve been on this case for almost three months and we aren’t getting anywhere.”   
“Hotch.” You groan and he stares down at you for a second, something unreadable in his eyes.   
“His victims look a whole lot like you and Raven. Dark hair, hazel, brown or green eyes. You’re both in the age range and you’re single women who live alone.”   
“So you’re going to be my personal protection?”  
“If you’ll let me.”  
“I don’t need protection Hotch.” You tell him, softly, not looking at him. Instead you look over at Morgan. You’re worried about him. He seems stressed and you don’t blame him, you’re freaking out too. Raven is your best friend. Nobody knows her like you do. “I need to be on this case.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Nobody knows Ray like I do. We’ve been inseparable for nearly a decade. If you need someone to get inside her head, it’s going to be me.”  
“No. No way you’re a target just as much as Raven was.” Derek had caught onto your conversation.   
“I wasn’t asking you Morgan.”  
“Hotch you can’t seriously be considering this!” Morgan cries, taking three long strides toward you. He invades your space in his haste to get to his boss. You take a half step to the side and crash into Hotch.   
“It’s not a bad idea.” Hotch counters wrapping a hand around your arm to keep you on your feet. “She’s trained.”  
“No.” Morgan argues.   
“Morgan-” Hotch begins but you cut him off.   
“Hey!” You cry. “I will go above your head if I have to. I’m the best chance you’ve got at finding this guy! And at finding Raven!”  
“Fine.”  
“I don’t care-” you stop mid-sentence and stare at Hotch, “Fine?”  
“Fine.”


	4. Chapter 4

You stare intently at the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything that could help you escape. Once the door opened you notice how dark the room you were in is, unless he’s shining a light directly into the room. Which he could be doing. The light streaming in from the open door left you blind for a second, you know for sure that it’s nighttime, behind the one light it’s dark. You blink rapidly so you could focus once more on the open door, and whoever is coming in it. Before you can see anything helpful a man dressed in dark clothing and a mask moves to stand in front of you.   
You look up at him and smile; you can tell it throws him off. He unties your body from the chair, but keeps the restraints that keep your hands tied together. He then grabs your right arm harshly and forces you onto your knees.   
“What do you want with me?” You ask him, trying to keep the fear out of your voice.   
“Shut up.” He answers gruffly.   
“I just want to help you.” You answer in a sweet voice.  
“You need to be prepared.” He replies softly, his voice no less menacing.   
“Prepared for what?”   
“For the tests.” He tells you solemnly.   
“Why did you pick me?” You question him, careful not to piss him off.   
“I wanted your friend first; then she lead me to you.“ He replies confusing you. "Although a matching set might be nice.” He muses, more to himself than to you.   
“Why did you end up choosing me and not her?” You ask the man who doesn’t seem as angry as before.   
“Your eyes were better.” He answers.  
“You don’t have to hurt me.” You tell him, "I’ll need to be ready for the tests.”  
“It was their fault. I only punished them like they needed to be.” He answers in a haste.  
“I can be your friend, if you let me go. I can help you. No one will hurt you if you let me help you.” You tell him.  
“I can’t. Stay like that. If you move, you die.“ He snaps at you then quickly walks out of the room.   
You quietly curse as you hear the door lock. The feeling of hopelessness begin to fill you once more. You decide to continue being kind to the man. If you could befriend him, then you might be able to convince him to let you escape. You needed to get back home. Your boyfriend and best friend needed you. You couldn’t leave them alone. You needed to find a way out.   
Whether this man wanted to hurt you or not, you couldn’t be sure you would get out of this alive. Thinking back on the conversation, you remember him comparing you to a woman. Who was she? Was she alive? You clearly weren’t his first and if you weren’t careful you wouldn’t be his last either.   
You tried to think back on the lessons Derek forced upon you when you first started dating. How to handle an unsub, but until you could talk to him again and figure him out, there was nothing that could help you now. You force yourself to become comfortable while you wait for the man who was holding you captive to return again.


	5. Chapter 5

You beg to go back to the BAU with Hotch and Morgan. Threatening to walk if they don’t just shut the hell up and take you with. They relent. Well, Morgan gives Hotch a look that you’ve seen before, one that says not to argue. So, with a heavy sigh he nods and you find yourself sitting passenger seat of his SUV.   
“You need sleep.” He says as your head bobs for the third time on the drive back.   
“I need coffee.” You grumble back. He’s not wrong, you do need sleep but you need to find Raven more. “This is usual, I’m always this tired.”  
“You don’t need to lie to me.”  
“I need to find Raven Hotch. She’s been like a sister to me, I should’ve been home to protect her.”  
“This isn’t your fault. He could have taken you too, then who’d be here to look for Raven?”  
“Morgan.” You grumble not wanting to admit he’s right.   
“You said it yourself Joelle. Nobody knows Raven like you do. For example, why would she be over by Quantico?”  
“Sometimes she meets me at the little cafe on third. But we haven’t done that for almost a month. What’s the wait time between contact and kidnapping?”   
“Maybe a couple of days. For sure not a month. Did she mention being followed? Some of the other women told loved ones they’d been followed.”  
“No, not that she ever mentioned to me.”  
“Would she tell you?”  
“Absolutely.” He glances over at you then rests a hand on your thigh. An action you don’t expect from him. You rest your hand on top of his and take a deep breath before blinking back the tears that threaten to spill over.   
“We’ll find her. He keeps them a while.” He assures you in a calm voice. His eyes lock with yours when the car rolls to a stop.   
“How long is a while Hotch?” You force yourself to ask.   
“Long enough.” But his eyes betray him, you might not have enough time. You’ve got to have enough time.


	6. Chapter 6

You don’t know how long you’ve been kneeling on the cold hard floor, but you were starting to get exhausted. You almost wanted to beg your kidnapper to come back just so you could move. What were these tests this man was talking about? Thoughts about the tests completely took over your mind. You couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to the others. What would happen if you failed the tests? What if the others before you never made it because he stopped liking them? What if they didn’t listen to him enough? Would this be the place in which you died? How long would you have left to live in this room? What if he kills you like he did the others? Why couldn’t you move? Was this a part of the tests?   
You wanted to be brave, but no matter what Derek had taught you, you were not prepared for a situation like this. You probably wouldn’t be able to escape. Derek would save you though. He has always been your hero. Joelle would stop at nothing to find you as well. You know she’s probably already fighting with Derek to be part of the investigation to find you. Those two were your family, and they would go to hell and back for you. You had to be strong for them; survive for them.   
The door slams open which startles you so much you flinch. Just like last time you can’t make anything out. Your kidnapper walks over to you and roughly pulls you onto your feet. You let out a groan; your legs shaking. He holds you upright until you could stand by yourself. Once you’re standing on your own, he drags you to a cot that is behind you that you hadn’t noticed which was irritating. You should’ve paid more attention. How could you ever hope to escape if you kept missing things like that?  
“You’ll sleep now. If you try to leave, You’ll die.” He says in a deep tone.  
“What am I supposed to call you?” You ask quietly, it’s worth the chance that you might anger him.  
“You call me sir, and don’t speak until I tell you to, do you understand?” He replies harshly.  
“Yes, sir.” You say softly.  
“You keep being a good girl, and maybe I’ll let you leave this room soon. Doesn’t that sound nice?” He asks you cupping your chin in his hand. It makes you shiver in disgust when he calls you a “good girl”, but you smile and nod your head in response.  
“You answer me whenever I speak to you,” he yells at you then slaps your face so hard you begin to hear a ringing in your ears.  
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir.” You say in a shaky voice.  
“Good girl. Now sleep, tomorrow there is another test for you.” He answers in a content tone.   
“Yes, sir.” You reply and lay yourself down on the cot he left you standing by.   
He walks out, but leaves the door to your small room open. You stare intently at the open door way. Your instincts are telling you to get up and run, but his instructions resonate in your mind. If you try to leave, you’ll die. He said those exact words, and something told you he meant every single one of them. You were terrified of this man, it was very obvious you weren’t the first person he’s taken. There was no one else here aside from you, which made you petrified. You couldn’t be the next to go. You couldn’t let him hurt you more than he already has.   
Your thoughts are in over-drive, there’s no point to even attempt sleep. You know you should, since you don’t know what the next day has in store for you. You think of your escape plan, but all you really have planned is to keep your kidnapper happy. He said if you continued to behave, he might let you out soon. If you could get him to trust you, then maybe you’d be able to get free enough to be able to escape. With that small sense of hope, you force your eyes closed. You’ll do whatever you can to get the sleep your body has been begging you for.


	7. Chapter 7

It doesn’t hit you until you pin a picture of Raven up on the board the BAU is using. You grab one of the ones that has you in it and pin that to the board too.   
“Holy fuck.” You whisper staring at the picture of the two of you and the other girls. “Holy fuck.” You can’t seem to think of anything else to say.   
“What?” Reid asks coming to stand next to you.   
“This is my fault.”  
“What?”  
“I led him right to her.” You say staring at the picture of you both. “Hotch said that his hunting ground was within ten miles of Quantico. Ray hasn’t been around here for a month, it was me. He was going to fucking take me!” You cry, anger coursing through you. You fling open the door and go tearing through the bullpen. You hear both Derek and Hotch call your name but you’re in such a rage you hardly register it. You were supposed to keep her safe. You were supposed to protect her. And you led this monster straight to your door. You don’t stop until you’re in the gym, a punching bag hangs in the corner and you attack it with fury. You beat the bag with everything you’ve got. All the stress, worry, anxiety, fear, everything. You don’t even hear him come into the room. You don’t notice the blood on your knuckles until he pulls you away from the bag.   
“Take a break. Take a break.” Hotch soothes, his arms a cage around you.   
“Let me go Hotchner!” You growl, pushing at his arms. They don’t budge, in fact you’re pretty sure he just holds on to you even tighter than before.   
“No,” He says gently, “You need to calm down.”  
“It’s my fault Hotch. It’s my fault.” You keep repeating, “It’s my fault.” You choke out, “He saw me around, around here. He followed me and saw her.”  
“Why didn’t he just take you?” He asks,   
“Eyes. Her eyes are darker than mine, I’ve got green eyes. All his victims have had hazel or brown.” He turns you toward him, gently cupping your face in his hands.   
“This isn’t your fault.” His brown eyes are soft when they look at you. “No matter what you think Jo, this isn’t your fault. He did this. Not you.”  
“Hotch.”  
“Not you.” He repeats and you bite your lower lip before nodding. “I want you to say it Jo.”  
“This,” You swallow thickly, “This isn’t my fault.”   
“It’s not and I know that when we find Raven she’ll tell you the same thing.” He glances down at your knuckles, “Now, let’s take care of those knuckles of yours.”


	8. Chapter 8

You’re woken by your kidnapper. He roughly shakes you then growls, “Sit up.” As soon as you’re fully conscious, you sit up and wait for your instructions. He throws something in your lap, and when you look down, you realize that it is a light blue t-shirt and black yoga pants.   
“Put them on, we have a lot to do today. Be a good girl and hurry.” He tells you.  
“Yes, sir.” You reply quietly. You stand up and change into the pair of yoga pants with difficulty, your hands being bound is causing you some serious difficulty. You turn to face your kidnapper, you’d felt his eyes on you the whole time you were changing, but you kept quiet. You were afraid that if you spoke out, he’d hit you again.   
“Now the shirt.” He commands.  
“Yes, sir. Could you help me, please sir? I can’t get the shirt on with my wrists bound.” You reply in a soft voice.  
“You be a good girl while I help you, understand?” He demands.  
“Yes, sir.“ He grabs your hands and unties the rope holding them together. He grabs the shirt from the cot.   
"Take off your shirt.” He shoves the blue shirt over your head and makes you finish putting it on. Once you are done changing, he grabs your right arm and drags you out of your designated room.  
The first thing you see is a long hallway. It felt as if you were in a tunnel with a bright light at the end of it. You have to blink rapidly so your eyes can adjust to the brightly lit kitchen you are brought out to. He continues to lead you through what seems like a small house. You pass by a living room and turn right into another hallway. He leads you down the hall where you pass two open doors. Looking into the first door on your left you see a small bedroom. You continue walking and see the next open door is actually a bathroom. At the end of the hall is closed door. He rips open the door and shoves you in.  
“This room has to be spotless by the time I come back.” He sneers down at you.  
“Yes sir.” You reply, fear lacing your voice.   
“Be a good girl for me and you might get to keep this as your new room.” He snaps dropping cleaning supplies on the floor.   
“I’ll be good sir.” You answer and he grunts in response.   
He walks out and slams the door shut. You flinch at the loud noise and scowl as you hear him turn the lock, leaving you trapped in this new room.   
You ignore the cleaning supplies as you pick yourself off of the floor. You take in your new surroundings and notice that there is a window across the room. You immediately make your way over to the window and try to figure out where you could be. Gazing out the window fills you with dread. You were in a fucking forest. All you could see out the window were trees, trees and then more fucking trees. You were never getting out of here on your own.   
Damn your parents for making you a city girl. Even if you managed to escape, you’d never survive out there on your own. You take in a deep breath and let it out as a deep sigh. Compliance would be your only way out. You walk over to the cleaning supplies once more and begin the task your kidnapper had set upon you.  
“Please find me quickly, guys. I don’t know how long I keep him happy.“ You mutter as if your boyfriend and best friend could hear you.


	9. Chapter 9

Hotch wraps your knuckles, it stung when he’d cleaned them. He’d been so gentle the rest of the time he was handling your wounds that you couldn’t help the surge of affection you had for him. You watch his face as he tapes the last bit of gauze down, he’s so focused, his dark lashes hiding his eyes.   
“Thank you.” You say softly and his eyes meet yours.   
“It wasn’t hard, I just wrapped them.”  
“No, Hotch I mean thank you for all of this. You’ve been so kind.”  
“I’m just doing my job.”  
“Either way, thank you.” You tell him wrapping an arm around his shoulders and giving him a quick squeeze. One of his hands goes to your waist and your heart thuds in your chest. He takes a deep breath like he’s going to say something but before he can open his mouth his phone chirps. He lets out a huff of annoyance and then answers,  
“Hotchner.” He listens for a moment before nodding, “We’ll be right up.” He slips the phone back into his pocket as he stands. “We’ve got a profile.”  
“We can find Raven?”  
“We’re another step closer. A big step.” You follow him back to the elevator and the two of you ride silently up to the BAU. When you enter the room you see that the rest of his team had the cork board out in the bullpen and everyone in the room is facing them. JJ glances at Hotch who nods and she begins.   
“As most of you know we have another missing woman in our long going brunette kidnapping and murder case. This time it hits closer to home and is Raven Collins. Many of you know her as Derek Morgan’s girlfriend, others might know her as Joelle Larue’s roommate and best friend. She is a part of this family and Cruze has assured us that this takes top priority.”  
“Here’s what we know so far.” Rossi picks up the briefing so easily you’re almost suspicious that they rehearsed. “Raven was taken from her and Joelle’s apartment sometime within the last 6 hours. This tracks with our UnSub. He always takes the women when he knows they’ll be alone.”  
“This means that the UnSub follows and watches his victims before he takes them. This tells us that his job has flexible hours, where he can be away from work at odd hours.” Prentiss adds.   
“The UnSub is smart. Knows how to blend into a middle to upperclass neighborhood. He’s a male in his mid-thirties to late forties and appears unthreatening.” Reid says, rubbing his hands together.   
“It’s pretty obvious that he has a type and we believe that he is more flexible than we previously thought and is willing to change his victim if someone else better fits his needs.” Derek says, you’re surprised at how calm he seems. “Raven and Joelle are often mistaken for siblings. Since our UnSub’s hunting ground is around here and Ray hasn’t been out here in a while we believe that our UnSub saw Joelle first and when he followed her home he saw Raven.”  
“What made Raven more desirable? Was she an easier target because she’s not FBI?” One of the agents in the bullpen asks and you answer instead of one of Hotch’s team.   
“Her eyes.” You say, several heads turning toward you, “She’s got hazel eyes. I’ve got green. All his victims have darker eyes than I do.”


	10. Chapter 10

You weren’t sure how you hadn’t cracked yet. You had been with your kidnapper for three days now. Three very long days. You always knew finding the victim always took time, but why were you still stuck here? Why were you still alive? In the three days with your kidnapper, you had cleaned every room in his house, cooked every meal for him, and washed all of his clothes. He had made you his servant, but it was probably what kept you alive for so long.   
He constantly called you his good girl which never failed to disgust you. You constantly were being told what to do and when to do it, and it was frustrating you.  
You missed your home. You wanted to be back home with Joelle. You missed date nights with Derek. He always made it a habit to take you out whenever he was home from a case. You missed going out for drinks with the team. Garcia would always give you the dirt on Derek while he was away. You knew how much the team meant to him, and you could happily say they meant a lot to you as well. You were waiting for the day Hotch would man up and finally ask your best friend out. You missed your small family so much.  
Tears came to your eyes the more you thought of the people you missed. The more you thought of home, the more you wanted to go back. You know your kidnapper chose you because of the way you look. By now you know the team will have realized this as well. You knew they would find you, but you were getting desperate to escape.   
The door to your room opens and your kidnapper enters the room. You quickly wipe your face to hide your tears, but he’d already noticed.   
“Why are you crying?” He snaps.  
“I’m sorry sir, I just miss going outside. I miss the flowers. I work with them everyday and I miss them, sir.” You explain quickly. Fear laces your body since you are unsure if he will accept your apology.   
“Do you hate it here?” He snarls.   
“No sir. I love it here. You take good care of me sir. I just miss my flowers.” You answer, your voice slightly trembling.   
“You only miss your flowers? Not that man I used to see you with. He always left you alone didn’t he? Making you wait for him everyday?” He asks in a condescending tone.  
“No sir. I don’t miss him at all, he always left me, but you never do. You always come back and take care of me. I love my flowers though sir. They never let me down like he always did.” You answer him. You hate talking bad about Derek, but you don’t want to anger your kidnapper.   
“If I take you to see flowers, will you be a good girl for sir?”  
“Of course, I will sir.” You answer excitedly. You might be able to go outside again. It had been to long since you were last out and you missed it.  
“You do anything I don’t like, and I’ll have to kill you, understand?” He replies.  
“Yes sir, I understand.” You say.  
He nods and grabs your right arm. He pulls you through the long hallway, and past the living room. You had never been allowed to walk out the second door that was in the living room. You were finally going to see what was beyond that door. You go out the door and into another hallway. At the end of this hallway was another door. He opens the door and the bright light blinds you for a moment.   
You feel the fresh air hit your face the moment you step out. You smile widely, happy to be out again. You look around the area and you see you are in a small backyard that leads into the forest. You look around and see the garden full of pink marigolds. You smile widely and can’t help but put your hands up and do a small twirl.   
“That’s enough.” You hear his gruff voice.  
You sigh sadly, but know better than to argue so you answer, “Yes sir.”  
He roughly grabs your arms once more and takes you back into your room. He locks you in once more, but you let out a small smile in accomplishment. He let you out today, and soon you might have the opportunity to escape his clutches.


	11. Chapter 11

How were there so many men in this area that fit your profile? It was actually kind of disturbing.   
“How long?” You ask looking over at Hotch as he drives. You’ve been working nights with him and Morgan while JJ, Reid, Rossi and Prentiss are working days.   
But it’s already been three days.   
“He’s never kept anyone more than a week.”   
“Oh my god.”  
“Every person we can eliminate brings us closer to the UnSub.” He tries to assure you but it’s not helping. “The fact that he hasn’t taken anyone else is a good sign. It means she’s still alive.”   
“He’s never taken more than one woman at a time?”  
“Only once. They were sisters.” You nod, feeling slightly nauseous, your mind is spinning and you know you’re not getting any sleep today. He pulls into his garage then the two of you head up to his apartment. You’ve been staying at Hotch’s place since Raven went missing. Mostly because Hotch wasn’t letting you out of his sight but honestly you’re okay with that. You feel safer when you’re not alone anyways.   
You both go directly to bed. But even after tossing and turning for over an hour in the ever lightening room you’re lying in. When the clock flips past 8:00am you make up your mind. You’re going out. You’re going to tempt him. And you’re not going to ask Hotch.   
You get up and slip on some clothes, then sneak out of his apartment. You hang around Quantico for a while, until you feel eyes on you. Then you start to wander. To a part of town that you’re confident won’t be overly populated. Sure enough it’s deserted and you’re not sorry about doing this to the team. At least you’ll know that Raven is alive or not. You’d always told her to call you her sister in case something happened. If she was arrested ‘her sister worked for the FBI’ threatened, attacked, stalked, kidnapped anything. You hope she’d told him. To convince him to let her go.   
If she told him he’d take you. When the arm wraps around your throat you know she did. He’s quick. You don’t get a chance to fight back before you’re unconscious from whatever drug he’s got on a rag.   
When you come to you’re in a dark room, bound to a chair. “Raven?” You call softly. Oh this was a mistake.


	12. Chapter 12

It was quiet when you woke, the clock said that it was nearly 7 which was unusual. He normally had you up at 5:30, before the sun even rose, to get things ready for the day. Why wasn’t he here? Did something happen to him? Would you starve to death in this tiny room? You knock gently on the door, your heart pounding.   
“Sir?”   
You begin to fear for your life. What if he had found someone new? Was he getting ready to kill you and dispose of your body? You never knew where he went when he would leave you at his home during the day, but he had a routine. Only something important would make him leave this early. How long would he take? Were you going to die before being able to say goodbye to those you loved? You don’t know how long you had been lost in your thoughts.   
You weren’t sure what you should do. You know he expects your room to be spotless, bed made neatly, like a model home. So that’s what you do. You change into one of the few outfits you had, a black shirt, dark jeans and a pair of black shoes. Folding your pajamas you put them into a drawer and then make your bed. You scan the bookshelf for something to read until he comes home when a noise catches your attention.   
It’s a car door, there’s another one followed by the front door being slammed open. He sounds heavier, like he’s got added weight to his footsteps as they pass your room. Your body tenses up in anticipation. When is he coming for you? Is he angry? After a while you hear footsteps in the hallway, and you know he’s about to come in. You sit up and wait for him to walk in. You keep our head down, and you’re scared for what could be coming your way.  
“Well done. Why are you wearing the black shirt?“ He asks staring at you as soon as he enters the room.  
“Thank you sir. I’m sorry, do you want me to change? Have you had breakfast yet sir?”  
He makes his way over to you and grabs your arm. He drags you out of the bedroom you’re in a back toward the one you’d first woken up here in. You bite back a groan and say nothing.  
“You’ve been a good little pet.” He tells you.  
“Thank you sir.“ You answer.   
“You’re so special, but not too special for me to keep forever. So I brought a back up plan. I have your sister now.” He pushes open the door and you see Joelle, still unconscious, tied to the chair. “If you act out, I have her to fill my needs.” He says patronizing you.   
“I’ll be good sir, I promise. I can teach her how to be good for you sir.” You need to talk to her. Joelle’s fiery temper isn’t going to suit her well here. “You don’t have to work so hard to train her. I can do it for you and make her a perfect girl.” You plead. As soon as he said he had Joelle, you knew you had to warn her. She wouldn’t like being told what to do. You wanted to keep her alive for as long as possible. She would be your way out. She knew better than anyone else what to do in these situations. You knew what to expect from your kidnapper, so you had to make sure she would pass all the tests he made you go through.  
“No, You stay here! I’ll train her, and if she fails she dies.” He snarls slamming your back into the wall. “Unless you think you’re better than me!” He growls.   
“I’m sorry sir, I meant no offense.” You say to him. "I just know her well. She is my sister.”  
“Breakfast. Now.” He glowers before closing and locking the door to Joelle’s room. You nod and go to the kitchen.   
Please, God. Keep Joelle safe.


	13. Chapter 13

Your head is throbbing. You force your eyes open and are pleased to see that you’re still able to look around the room. You’re still wearing your own clothes, and jewelry which is a relief. You roll your head to try and loosen the muscles in your shoulders. Your arms are bound tightly, your fingers slightly tingling from lack of circulation.   
You hear the keys in the lock and stare at the door, you need to know she’s okay. It pops open and you see his silhouette in the doorway. He’s a big man, and he takes up the whole doorway.   
“You behave or you die.” He growls.   
“Where’s Raven?”  
“Shut up.”  
“Did you kill her?”  
“I said shut up!” He roars wrapping a hand around your throat. “If you disobey me again she will be dead. Do you understand me?” He roars and you nod as much as you can. “You will address me as sir. If you don’t do what I say you will be punished. You try to escape and I’ll kill your sister.”  
“Yes Sir.” You say through grit teeth. Oh you were gonna make this fucker pay. “Sir may I please see her?”  
“If you behave.”  
“I’ll behave sir. You can even leave me tied to the chair.” He seems to mull over the idea for moment. Then he turns and leaves the room, slamming the door shut behind him. The photos on the wall rattle from the force of the door slamming and you wince slightly. You force yourself to remain calm, there’s really not much else you can do at this moment.   
To say you’re surprised when the door opens would be an understatement. Your head whips up and your green eyes meet the surprised hazel ones of your best friend.   
“Raven?” You breathe.   
“Joelle.” She whispers back, tears forming in her eyes. She’s alive. Raven is alive. And looks okay.   
“You have three minutes.” Your captor sneers, “She stays tied up. Do you understand me?”  
“Yes sir.” Raven says with a meaningful glance at you.   
“Yes sir.” You repeat and he slams the door shut. “Raven you’re alive.”  
“Jo.” She chokes out hurrying to your side. You tip a hand up and she grabs it squeezing tightly. “What are you doing here?”  
“I had to try and see if you were alive. Hotch said that he took a pair of sisters. So I made myself bait.”  
“You did this on purpose?”  
“Yes.” You lower your voice, “I wore my favorite necklace.” You glance down at the one hidden down the front of your shirt. She pulls at the chain and see the heart pendant that Derek had given her. The one that he had a tracker in, in case of emergencies. She tucks it back into your shirt then gives you a tight smile. You can tell she’s barely keeping it together, the dark circles under her eyes show the lack of sleep she’s been getting and the anxiety is coming off of her in waves.   
“How long?” She mutters.   
“I don’t know Ray, soon, I left Hotch a note.”  
“Don’t fight him. Just do what he says.” The door flies open again, and the UnSub comes into the room. Without a word he grabs Raven around the bicep and practically drags her out of the room. The two of you make eye contact one last time before the door slams shut, leaving you alone once more.


	14. Chapter 14

There were no words you could use to describe the sense of relief you felt when saw Joelle, safe and alive. The two of you just needed to stay alive for as long as it took the BAU team to find you. You were excited to know you could be going home soon. You would be back with you small family, and in the arms of the man you love. You needed to clean up around the house and prepare lunch for your kidnapper. The longer you kept him happy, the longer you would live to see another day. He was already kind enough to let you have time with Joelle.  
You couldn’t risk falling out of line. Her life was in your hands as well now.   
Joelle made you a bit worried. She had a fiery temper, and there was only so much she could take from your kidnapper before she snapped. He had said you weren’t special enough to need alive, which meant she wasn’t special enough either. He could kill either one of you whenever he wanted to, and that terrified you. You would fall apart if anything happened to Joelle.  
She’s so important to you, more than just a best friend, she was family. She stuck by you through all the good and the bad. She was all you had after your parents died. Joelle got your head on straight for you, when you needed that extra push she always provided it. From when you were opening your flower shop to falling in love with Derek. She told you to take a chance on a great man who would do right by you, unlike the few men before him. He turned out to be the love of your life, without Joelle, you’d still be alone.   
You quickly snap out of your thoughts when you hear a door slam and hurry into the kitchen to make lunch. You’re grateful that you’d made some extra pasta yesterday. You reheat the pasta while you grab some chicken from the fridge and begin to grill it. You know it won’t be long until your kidnapper gets impatient. You put the pasta on a plate and add some spices to the chicken before setting it on the plate as well. You set the plate on the dinning room table where he likes to eat. You walk to his office where he usually is when he’s in the house. You reach the door and knock timidly.  
“Sir? Your lunch is ready and on the table waiting for you.” You say.  
“You’re late.” He answers gruffly.   
“I know, sir. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. I promise.” You answer.   
“I should punish you.” He replies and stands up from his desk chair to walk towards you.   
“I’m sorry sir. I promise to be better. I’ll be good.” You tell him in a panic. You wanted to avoid the sting of his slap again.   
He smirks at you in a sinister way and you let out a whimper. You know what’s coming your way and you begin to panic. You feel the first slap, and it’s harder than any other slap he’s given you before. You realize he wants you to cry out. He wants a reaction out of Joelle. You clench your jaw and refuse to make a sound. He then pushes you down on the floor and begins to repeatedly kick your torso. You try not to make a sound, but eventually the pain is too much for you and you let out a painful cry. You can hear Joelle yelling out your name, but your focus is on the pain you’re feeling. You begin to feel hazy and rather than fight it, you succumb to the darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

“Raven?” You scream after you hear her cry out. This fucking coward is beating her. “Hey jackass why don’t you pick on someone who can fight back?” You scream, “Come on!” You struggle against the ropes at your hands and feet, they’re tearing into your skin but you don’t care. You’re bleeding by the time you get one hand free. You pluck at the knot on your other hand until it too comes free. It doesn’t take long for you to get your feet free then you’re at the door. A few well placed kicks and you’ve got it open.   
“I knew you would be the one who would fight back.” He snarls, Raven’s unconscious body is on the floor between the two of you. “It’s the other reason I took her first. Easier to break you if she’s already broken.”  
“That’s funny you piece of shit. She didn’t seem broken to me, and I’ve seen broken Raven before.”  
“She’s terrified of me!” He roars you want to keep him angry, focused on you, not on your defenseless best friend on the ground.  
“I bet that makes you feel so tough. Too bad you lost the only woman who’d ever love you. What was her name? Tina?”  
“How- how-”  
“I work for the fucking FBI. I know everything I need to about you, Dennis.”  
“You are to call me Sir!”  
“Not gonna happen Denny.”   
“I’m going to kill you!” He screams and you smirk at him.   
“You think you can handle a woman fighting back?” He charges at you then and instead of waiting you leap at him catching him around the back of the neck. You pull his head down to meet your knee and are satisfied when you hear his nose break with a pop.   
You need to get him away from Raven.   
You fall back into the room and when he kicks at your ribs you wrap your arms around his leg and hold tightly to him. He tries to kick you with his other foot but the second he raises it you roll into him causing him to loose his balance and he goes tumbling to the ground. You try to get past him and back out the door to Raven, to get her out when his hand wraps around one of your ankles.   
“I told you I’d kill you.” He growls wrapping a hand around your throat and squeezing. You claw at his hand, his neck, anywhere you can dig your fingernails into his skin you do but he doesn’t let go. Black is starting to creep in from the edges of your vision from lack of oxygen. You try to kick him off weakly when a loud crack bursts through the haze.   
Suddenly oxygen comes flooding back into your lungs. You can breathe. You gasp down lungfuls of air. Then he’s there. Hotch. Looking part relieved, part terrified and part furious and it’s literally the most wonderful thing you’ve ever seen.   
“Ray-.” You croak.   
“She’s okay. Morgan’s with her. What were you thinking?”  
“That you’d save us.” You tell him honestly and with a soft growl his lips suddenly and fiercely collide with yours.


	16. Chapter 16

You hear noises around you, but you can’t open your eyes yet. Your body is in pain as you try to move. You try to remember what happened. All you can focus on is the pain you’re in. Your ribs give you the worst pain you’ve ever felt in your life. You let out a groan and you hear the room go silent. You try to talk, but your throat and mouth are dry. You can hear someone saying your name. You try your hardest to open your eyes, and after what felt like ten minutes your eyes finally opened. You have trouble adjusting to the light in the room; you soon realize you’re in a hospital room. You look around the room and see Derek and Spencer standing by your bed. You try to smile at them, but you feel pain in your face as well.  
“Der.” You say hoarsely.  
“Hey baby, how are you feeling?” He asks you as he takes a seat on the chair next to your bed.   
“Where’s Joelle?” You ask in a panic. Your best friend was no where in sight. Was she hurt too? Did he kill her? Was she safe at home?   
“She’s with Hotch. He made her go home, I’ll have our genius call her.” He answers and you sigh in relief. He nods in Spencer’s direction and he heads out of your room to call Joelle.   
“Water, please.” You tell him suddenly remembering how dry your throat was.  
He grabs a cup of water that was on the table by your bed and helps you drink what was in the cup. He smiles softly at you, and you can’t help but gaze lovingly at him. You missed Derek while you were being held. You couldn’t imagine your life without him, and here he was in front of you. You couldn’t help but tear up as you kept thinking about how much you loved Derek.  
“I love you.” You tell him as he wipes away a tear that trailed down your face.   
“I love you too baby. I’m never letting you leave my sight again.” He tells you.  
You let out a breathy laugh and say, “As much as I’d love that, Der, you have to be other people’s hero more than you have to protect me.”  
“No one’s more important than you.” He answers in a deep tone.  
“I’m sure all the people you save don’t think that.” You tease him.  
“They aren’t more important to me. I’ve talked to Hotch and I’m taking a month off from work to be with you and help you recover.” He replies.  
“Derek Morgan, you’re an idiot. You can’t just take time off to help me. You have to save the people out there. They need you more. What happened was something unexpected, but it probably won’t happen again, Der. Killers never stop appearing, and they need to be stopped. You have to stop them.” You scold him.  
“Baby, you’re going to need help. You can’t move around much and I know you won’t like leaving your flower shop any longer.” He tells you in a playful tone.  
“I’ll let you stay with me two weeks. I love spending time with you, my love, but the team needs you too. You can help me for two weeks, and I’ll even stay with you.” You compromise with him.  
“Okay, baby, we’ll have our two weeks as soon as you’re out of the hospital.” He says to you. He smiles lovingly at you. You smile wide in response and you gesture for him to move closer to you. He raises his eyebrows at you, but complies. You move you hands around his neck and pull his face closer to you. You give him a short kiss on the lips. When you pull back you feel the happiest you’ve been in a long time. It felt great to be with the man you love once again.


	17. Chapter 17

It’s been two months. Two shaky months. Raven is doing, okay, she has nightmares, but seems to be just fine if someone’s with her. You’re not sure the two of you would’ve made it through those first two weeks without Derek and Aaron.   
Aaron.   
God he’d been nothing short of a saint. After he’d kissed you at the crime scene he’d taken you out of the little house. Berated you for leaving his place without telling him, praised you for the necklace with the tracker and then kissed you some more. While the scolding wasn’t appreciated the kissing absolutely was.   
He makes you a little crazy, the good kind. Where you suddenly break into a stupid grin because something reminds you of him. Or when you see him at work, the hall the elevator, commons, it doesn’t matter, he makes sure to grip your hand in his for a second. Or touch your back gently. It’s just a reassuring little moment to keep you grounded.   
He’s been there, when cases allow it, to pull you from your nightmares. When he and Derek are gone you and Raven often end up in the same bed. Hands clasped tightly as your hearts race, reminding yourself it’s all just a dream.   
That it’s over.   
His name was Dennis. Dennis Krist. Aaron had killed him. Single shot through the head. You weren’t sorry. The bruises had faded around your neck, but you knew you’d probably be scarred for a long time. Not forever. But a while.   
A small bouquet of flowers popping onto your desk pulls you from your thoughts.   
“Special delivery.” Raven says with a soft smile, the yellow and white daisies stare up at you.   
“Raven! Thank you. You didn’t have to.”  
“I didn’t. Hotch did.” She grins down at you and you flush a little pink causing her to laugh softly. You’re not sure whose more thrilled about you and Aaron dating. You or Raven.   
“Did you tell him I love daisies?”  
“He asked.”  
“Well thank you for bringing them. Wanna go see them?”  
“The team?”   
“Yea.” She nods, a wide smile on her face. You take over escorting her from the junior Agent who scurries out of the room. “How has today been?”  
“Okay. I’m less jumpy.”  
“Good.” Returning to your old life was proving to be, difficult and slow. But you were making it work. The elevator doors slide open and after stepping inside you punch the button with a finger and it rises to the BAU.   
When your eyes meet his you grin up at him. You may have to fight the anxiety everyday, help piece back your best friend when you’re a little more broken than before but at least you knew that you had something, someone, worth fighting for.


End file.
